Keep these tips in mind when planning gravel road maintenance:

• When grading the road, make sure the road is crowned. A crown of about 6" higher than the road's edge is a good rule of thumb.
• Make sure that when crowning you do not leave an edge berm. This is a small pile of road debris left on the road's shoulders, prematurely washing out your gravel road.
• Choose the type of gravel carefully. Ideally, the road surface should have about 10 to 15% clay/silt sized particles, known as fines, and the road bed should have 0-5% fines. This will help to minimize frost damage.
• The best time to grade is right after a heavy rain. The water helps loosen the gravel and fines and makes the road easier to reshape.
• Wherever possible, put in ditch turnouts into the woods to help disperse water and prevent erosion.
• For more info, or a copy of the "Camp road Maintenance Manual: A Guide for Landowners", contact the LSLA.